The Fresno State Small Business Development Center is one of 34 centers to receive funding from the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to assist small business owners and entrepreneurs in obtaining capital. Fresno State’s center is managed by the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and is part of the UC Merced Small Business Development Center regional network. Fresno State’s center will receive $63,000 to deploy regional consulting programs to increase the number of small business owners and entrepreneurs receiving debt and private capital funding in the Central Valley. “This award is a very significant step forward for the Valley’s startups and small businesses,” said Dr. Timothy Stearns, executive director of the Lyles Center. “Additionally, this money represents the importance that entrepreneurs bring to the local economy and the state at large.” California’s SBDC Network provides no-cost consulting and low-cost training to more than 63,000 small business owners every year. The network is a national program funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration that relies on the support of matching funders in order to provide regional services. INFO: Jeff Macon at 559.294.2045 or jeffmacon@csufresno.edu.
